New number plates for EV might help prices fall by five percent

The change of number plates will see electric car prices fall by over £2,000, this is according to experts at  Octopus Electric Vehicles.

Number plate changes will ensure a spate of discounts on older models with some electric cars set to fall by £2,208 on average in a 4.7 percent decline. DVLA plate launches usually lead to a dramatic boost in sales for the market with experts predicting September could be the best month for the industry in 2020 after months of lock down.

Dealerships often sell a lot of their older stock to make room for the latest models and plates which cleaves customers able to secure great deals.

An Octopus Electric Vehicles spokesperson says that “For those looking for a September bargain, EVs are already being offered with discounts of five percent on average.“That’s over £2,000! – as the new registration plates come in.“Not only that but with running costs at just a couple of pence a mile.He adds that it by the fall of price it will potentially save drivers thousands of pounds a year, EVs really are a no brainier for those watching the pennies.

Electric car sales have boomed so far in 2020 with sales up 174.6 percent year on year.July recorded another major surge for fully electric models with sales up a massive 259.4 percent when compared to last year.Changes in electric car tax have helped the cars finally get off the ground while plug-in hybrid grants have offered extra incentives.

Octopus says the move to scrap benefit in kind electric cаr chаrges from 16 to zero percent have ensured electric cаrs аre no longer the preserve of the wealth. The changes now meаn road users will not need to pаy any tаx when they lease a model through a salary sacrifice scheme which can make a massive difference scheme which can make a massive difference to road users, with this policy in place, prospective buyers can secure models on a monthly deal with upfront costs completely scrapped off.  It also stresses that electric vehicles are now £150 а yeаr which is cheaper to own compared to petrol vehicles.

This year sales of EV has been on the boom. Major manufacturers offer a range of electric vehicles giving consumers a range of option. Top brands such аs Mini, BMW, Ford and Nissan have joined companies such as Tesla on the market meaning there are now vehicles to suit every pocket.

Octopus spokesperson told Express.co.uk that owning an electric car is easy and hassle free. “A huge choice of vehicles, virtually  non- existent running costs, massive range, government incentives, zero tailpipe emissions among many advantages.  “If you’re on the lookout for а bargain this September, this is the perfect time to go electric!”

In 2019 electric cars in UK were to be green number plates, the aim is to make it possible for local authorities to allow zero-emission vehicles to benefit from incentives such as cheaper parking.The government hopes it will boost electric car sales, helping it achieve its 2050 target of net zero emissions.

However, the EV enthusiasts said without better financial incentive and charging points there  will not be much change. The government is asking industry and the public for their views on how to implement the scheme.

Department for Transport (DfT) said "as the UK moves at pace towards net zero emissions, the initiative aims to raise awareness of the increasing number of zero tailpipe emission vehicles on UK roads. Through the introduction of green number plates, local authorities would have a useful visual identifier should they wish to introduce incentives to promote the use of zero-emission vehicles, such as allowing these drivers to use bus lanes and to pay less for parking."

CPT UK, the trade body for the bus and coach industry, said it would be a mistake to allow electric cars to use bus lanes. "If local authorities allow some cars to use bus infrastructure, which is already severely strained and in need of significant investment, we will simply increase congestion for bus passengers and drive people off the bus and back into cars the vast majority of which are not electric," said chief executive Graham Vidler.

All-electric vehicles still represent only a fraction of total car sales and there are challenges to uptake, including a lack of charging points on roads and too few low-cost models.The government said a similar licence plate scheme introduced on a trial basis in the Canadian province of Ontario had led to an increase in electric vehicle registrations.

However, RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: "While the sentiment seems right, there are question marks as to whether drivers would see this as a badge of honor or alternatively it could foster resentment among existing drivers of petrol and diesel vehicles. "On the face of it, drivers we've questioned don't seem too impressed - only a fifth think it's a good idea and the majority said the number plates wouldn't have the effect of making them any more likely to switch to an electric vehicle."

Friends of the Earth campaigner Jenny Bates urged the introduction of a national scrap-page scheme, saying it would "help fund a switch to a cleaner vehicle or greener transport alternative".